


wicked riff

by soapbar



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 06:57:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20926022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soapbar/pseuds/soapbar
Summary: Make no mistake. He was Mikau, legendary guitarist whose life ended tragically but without regrets.





	1. getting sand in awkward places is no bueno

The blaring squawks that the seagulls were making was his first indication that he wasn't anywhere near that impenetrable fortress. Oddly enough, it felt almost familiar. The tangy odor that filled the air was comforting in some twisted way. The brine that emanated from the salty shores lapped gently against his body as he struggled to regain consciousness.

He was in excruciating pain.

How could he have been so _stupid_...

The water was slightly tainted with an undertone of crimson as his blood was washed away. If only his rash behavior could be cleansed as easily. The wound that those damned pirates had inflicted upon him would most likely be fatal.

He probably wasn't going to make it. Looks like the injured Zora was a goner, doomed to be carried away and forgotten in the foreboding expanse of the Great Bay. He wouldn't perform at the concert set in three days, either. His time was slowly but steadily dwindling.

However, was he going crazy or was there something green swimming towards him? Something green, huh? It couldn't be a Leever. They were unable to go near the water. Then again, he could just be hallucinating due to the severity of his injuries. Nearly being dead probably wasn't doing his sanity any favors, that's for sure.

Although his vision was hazy, he made out a kid dressed in a garb of vibrant green. That's what it was. Some little punk playing around. 

With barely any strength to lift his head let alone open his mouth to cry out for help, the male feebly uttered his request, not certain if the lone traveler would hear him let alone care enough to assist him.

"Somebody...please...get me...to shore..."

A temporarily lull filled the air, and as he continued to sink and drift further away he became resigned to his fate. Huh?

His body bopped slightly in the water and he belatedly realized that the blond male was attempting to push him but for whatever reason was struggling in his valiant effort. It's not like he was big in size; his staple diet was mainly fish. That kid must be kind of weak.

After taking a ridiculously long time, he finally felt the soft grains of sand. His face was angled downwards, so he awkwardly lifted himself up and took an unsteady step towards the shore. And then another. His head had never felt so heavy. His movements were sluggish, as if it took all of the remaining energy within him to keep on walking. Until finally, he just couldn't make it. He abruptly collapsed, the sand now sticking somewhat unpleasantly to his damp skin. Falling to his knees and laying face down made him idly wonder how the kid was taking all of this. It must suck having to watch some random Zora make a spectacle of himself. Mikau, you are such a loser right now.

Struggling to form a coherent sentence, he slowly introduced himself to the young male. There were brief pauses between some words, as he tried to regain some semblance of strength.

"Uuungh...I am Mikau of the Zora people...guitarist in the Zora band. I think this is it for me..."

"My final message...will you listen to it?" He lifted his finned head to tentatively peek one eye out, awaiting the other's response.

The smaller male had a pale human appearance yet for some inexplicable reason he also possessed pointed ears. How strange.

Regardless, the little guy considered his words, and nodded in resolution. He seemed to have a glint in his eye, almost as if he truly cared for the crippled Zora. So the guitarist used the last remnant of power he had to stand once more and took out his guitar. Even when he was fatally wounded, playing his guitar gave him inner strength. He needed that strength now more than ever.

And so, he told his tale in a impromptu song. He was good at making up lyrics on the spot. That's what Japas told him, anyway. His story explained that the singer in his group had recently laid some strange eggs. He expressed his desire to rescue Lulu's eggs from the Gerudo pirates who stole them and his failure to do so. About how the Great Bay was getting weird lately and he didn't know why. He implored the flaxen-haired male to help that singer girl. And then...

"That's all...thank you!"

He collapsed, this time he was sure he wasn't going to be able to get up. If only his soul could get healed so he didn't feel so much regret.

I'm sorry, Lulu. Looks like I'm not a descendant of that great Zora hero, after all...

An instrument he had never seen before was taken out by the green figure and as he skillfully blew into the holes that lined the indigo shell, a melody played out soothingly, almost as if it could heal his soul. It seemed remorseful, similar to his current state of being.

He was floating aimlessly in some dark, fathomless location. Nothing made sense. This wasn't the way he wanted to go. Not yet, not like this—

—Ah. _There_ she was. That singer girl. If she was here did that mean she forgave him? How could she when he didn't even forgive himself? He had no right to show his face to her after failing her like that. What was she thinking, holding his hand like that? She should be furious at him, pissed even. She should have smacked him and instead of that she was leading him somewhere, but where exactly?

Them. Their band. The Indigo-Go's. Why was everyone happy to see him? Even Evan wasn't frowning at him in that patronizing way he was known to do. This was weird. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

He didn't even feel pain. At all. His body felt wholly intact, like it did before he did a dolphin dive into that accursed place.

He suddenly felt a flair of tension settle within himself.

Why couldn't he have just recovered the eggs? Why did he have to let his anger get the best of him? He could have just slipped in, undetected, and taken back the eggs. But no, he had to go bursting in without thinking. As his indignation fizzled he instead felt something else entirely. It was an unwelcome feeling. It made him pause and then feel empty. The melancholy feeling was deep in his core, and he was unable to escape it. Being hot tempered wouldn't help him out now. It only made matters worse for him at the fortress, anyway. He had always been rash when angered. How ironic that it would lead to his downfall. 

After all, he was dead, right? There was no going back. It wasn't like he could change what had happened.

Why? Why did he have to die?

I'm not ready to die. I have so much that I still need to do! Anyone, save me! Please!

...  
...

Yes, this was it. He could feel peace at last.

That song the strange boy played, it was as if his sorrows had washed away. Yeah, he was gonna die. But at least he wouldn't die with shame. He would die with honor and courage in his heart having stood up for a just cause. He had the blood of a hero flowing through his very veins.

There was no need to agonize about the things he had lost and that which would remain unfinished. Having accepted his destiny, he turned at last to Lulu and upon seeking her approval he unfaltering took the first step into the afterlife.

Make no mistake. He was Mikau, legendary guitarist whose life ended tragically but without regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my take on Mikau. The first chapter details his death as it was portrayed in Majora's Mask. The following chapters, however, will be on his life. Before becoming a talented musician and will most likely have Japas/Mikau as the end couple. I hope you will enjoy this simple tale.


	2. tossing bottles in the sea is still littering

"Hey, no fair. Mikau, it's no fun racing you. You're way too fast!"

His narrow chest heaving at the excursion, the victorious male merely grinned widely at his latest victim, beaming in a smug manner. If he were older, the expression would appear arrogant. But for a ten-soon-to-be-eleven year old male it could be dismissed as adorable, if not a tad precocious. Just a tad.

"Suuure, _that_ was the reason you lost. Not to sound mean but your technique was sloppier than a skullfish missing its head."

He finished his snarky reply with a dramatic yawn, almost appearing bored at having to partake in this conversation.

Scratch that. He could be such a little brat at times.

Ever since he could remember Mikau liked to swim. He thrived on stretching his fins and being at the mercy of the water. Living in a place such as the Great Bay meant that he had the entire sea at his disposal. But more than swimming, the young Zora enjoyed going on adventures.

See, he was a curious lad. He didn't have any special abilities and at times it was frustrating having his mother reprimand him for coming home with minor scrapes that tarnished his strange skin color. When the first rays of dawn shone down on him, it appeared a pasty green. And yet, mid afternoon it adopted a deeper, nearly cerulean tone. The freckles adorning his finned head and most of his body were also a sore sight. It made him look like he had the chicken pox, something he overheard some male children whispering about. Apparently it was something that the pale-skinned race got when they were about his age. Blegh.

He didn't see what the big deal was; he wanted to, like most males his age, see what happened when he got too close to the sea snakes within the deep confines of Pinnacle Rock. He wanted to race the other Zoras; he didn't want to be reminded yet _again_ that he was the descendant of some Zora hero and that he should really stop playing these childish games already.

How annoying!

However, Mikau was nothing if not stubborn.

Having pinky promised his mother that he would be off practicing the refined art of fishing, he cracked a devilish grin as he turned his back and continued in the general direction of the Zora Cape. Upon closer inspection it seemed as if he had kept his other hand hidden, with the index finger and the finger beside it crossed therefore voiding that ridiculous promise. It wasn't until he was certain that she wasn't in sight that he made a sharp detour as he strode to the wet shores and dipped a webbed foot into the lukewarm water of the Great Bay. Deeming the temperature adequate had him move a few steps backwards as he then sped up and swiftly dove in, his fins now protruding as he aimed to find a turtle.

He had heard rumors from his peers that a gigantic turtle had been spotted on the far coast of the sea. Interest piqued, he had made a small wager that if he found it, the other kid had to do a certain request for him.

While he was making his way there underwater, he recalled with a notable shudder the conversation his mother had deemed appropriate to have with him this morning.

"Now, Mikau. I won't have you gallivanting off on some foolish quest yet again today, no sirree. Now you march off and practice fishing. That way you can impress a nice Zora lady when you're ready to choose a mate...don't you make that face at me, boy."

She had aimed a disapproving glare at him as she waggled a finger in his face, displeasure etched clearly upon her delicate features.

The young lad had aimed his head down at being scolded, responding with the manners she had tried her best to instill upon him.

"Yes, mama."

Even though girls had weirdly shaped heads and liked to collect the seashells that piled up by the shore. That was so boring.

Not that he would ever understand the female species, not even if he became a big, strong Zora. They were probably born on the moon. That would explain their strange mannerisms. The moon itself was more than just strange; it was eerie. The disconcerting spectacle in the sky with protruding eyes that gave the chilling impression of being able to see them from anywhere. You couldn't pay him enough rupees to get near that thing.

Resisting the innate urge to puke at the revolting memory, Mikau paused in his ministrations as he spotted something glittering in the far distance. He resumed his pace until he could recognize the clear container, with a cork sealing the contents inside. The mischievous Zora grabbed it and swam back to a lone rock so that he could open and examine it closely. This task required his complete attention, plus he had to ensure the item inside didn't accidentally get damp.

The swimmer wasted no time in unfurling the scroll, his dark irises frantically absorbing the images that had been hastily tacked on as an afterthought. There were a series of musical notes in various colors along with a female singer standing on a stage, with a captivated audience seemingly appearing transfixed on her performance. Offhandedly, he decided to keep the bottle as a keepsake. It might come in handy.

Now, about that letter...

The young Zora, now thoroughly intrigued, absently perused the faint writing still etched onto the feeble sheet of parchment before shortly reading the writing aloud to himself. He slowly read each line, stumbling over a few of the more difficult words before finally managing in uttering, "Musical lessons. Tomorrow at 8:00 am we are hosting an introductory class at the Zora Hall. Do you have what it takes to be the next star?"

His breathing suddenly quickened as he internally made up his mind. He knew where he would be tomorrow morning and it wouldn't involve struggling to catch some silly fish, that's for sure.


End file.
